Nicolette Hall

University of Pretoria | UP · Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences

Sport supplements classified as foods (and not as medicine) must contain specified amounts and qualities of protein before a prescribed list of health-benefit claims may be made on labels or in marketing activities. The objective of the current study was to investigate the protein composition and quality of high-protein sports supplements currently...

The paradox of persistent under‐nutrition and food insecurity; as well as the increasing the incidence of over nutrition is particularly observed in middle –income countries experiencing rapid westernisation such as South Africa (SA). Values of household Food insecurity remains high, whereas overweight and obesity are increasing at a rapid rate. Ag...

With the revision of the South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) a new guideline specifically recommending the daily consumption of dairy products including maas (cultured milk) was introduced. This paper aims to evaluate the relevance of including maas as a traditional food product in the FBDGs. It was found that maas is a culturally r...

Bioavailability aims to describe the effect of metabolic events on nutrient utilization. The supply of nutrients to the human body depends not only on the amount of a nutrient in food but also on its bioavailability. The bioavailability of nutrients is highly variable and can be influenced by numerous factors. Different nutrients (including protein...

Regular consumption of red meat is often considered detrimental to human health due, among other factors, to a perceived unhealthy fatty acid profile. With production systems intensifying globally, grain‐fed beef from feedlots are dominating market shelves within westernized countries. Although grass fed beef is considered to be a healthier alterna...

Most governments have committed to the set of Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations (UN) to be achieved by 2030. Subsequently the governments have drafted, or are in process of drafting, policies and programmes which aim to answer to these global requests. South Africa provides a unique case study: despite economic growth,...

Objective: Different fatty acids elicit different responses in the human body once ingested. Although red meat is often considered to be a source of fatty acids which has a negative impact on human health, many studies have reflected variability in the quantity and quality of fatty acids found in red meat produced on different production systems in...

Biodiversity is considered a critical measure of the agricultural health of the world. Not only does increased biodiversity contribute to nutrient production and consumption, but it acts as a safeguard against food shortages due to pests and diseases by spreading the risk. Biodiversity can improve dietary diversity in such a way to ultimately contr...

ABSTRAT There is a global increase in the production, processing and consumption of potatoes, especially in developing countries. The scale of the different varieties available today has led to a demand by end users to have some indication of fit for purpose. Reliable, scientifically validated objective methods are needed to group potatoes in order...

The FAO/WHO Expert Consultation Report (1998) recommended that both the chemical composition and physiological effect of food carbohydrates, including Glycaemic Index (GI), should be considered in guiding healthy food choices. Towards this end a rapid assessment method was developed to aid the food industry during product development, mainly for sc...

Red meat often evokes a wide array of complex and contradictory arguments. It is viewed as the most expensive component of any diet, supplying many essential nutrients as part of a healthy, prudent eating plan. Yet, red meat is non-homogenous, unique to each country, and continually changing in composition. It is observed that the amount of fat on...

Feeding systems, slaughter age and other production techniques notably influence the nutrient content of red meat. The modernization of the different South African production systems since the previous nutrient composition studies, justifies the necessity to update existing knowledge on the nutritional profile of South African produced beef. In add...

This study provides data on the total and haem iron contents in raw lean beef, chicken, lamb and pork meat samples. Total iron, expressed as mg/100g edible portion on fresh weight basis in raw lean beef (A-age), lamb, pork and chicken average 1.58, 1.64, 0.81 and 0.78 respectively. The haem iron content in beef (A-age), lamb, pork and chicken are 7...

Increased economic incentive for producing young and leaner carcasses, as well as demand for lean meat from progressively health conscious consumers, are considered drivers for change in carcass composition over time. Furthermore, many retailers trim visible fat from meat to various degrees and consumers increasingly remove visible fat from meat pr...

In most cited food composition studies and tables, the proximate system measures protein as total nitrogen (N) (determined by Kjeldahl or Dumas method) multiplied by a specific factor. A factor of 6.25 is used for determining total protein from total N (Jones, Munsey, & Walker, 1942). Although more expensive, it is considered more accurate to base...

Food-based dietary guidelines are often developed at country level to assist in bringing dietary intakes closer to nutrient intake goals and, ultimately, to prevent nutrition-related diseases. However, high food prices, alongside growing inflation, increasingly restrict food choices. This can leave those who are already vulnerable and less well off...

Insufficient and imbalanced nutrition is prevalent within the developing world and negatively affects people's health, productivity, sense of hope and overall well-being. Despite economic development moving South Africa from a developing to an emerging economy, micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent and primarily affect vulnerable groups such as...

Food-based dietary guidelines are often developed at country level to assist in bringing dietary intakes closer to nutrient intake goals and, ultimately, to prevent nutrition-related diseases. However, high food prices, alongside growing inflation, increasingly restrict food choices. This can leave those who are already vulnerable and less well off...

Food products from animals provide a variety of macro- and micronutrients. Animal sources of food, such as fish, chicken, meat and eggs, constitute high-quantity and high-quality protein, as they contain essential amino acids in the right proportions. In South Africa, eight micronutrients, namely vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitam...

Throughout the ages the quest for food and drink has influenced humanity’s economic, social and political development, and played a role in the organization of society and history. Nutrition (or what we choose to consume) influences the health of human beings and therefore their quality of life. Animal source foods are often the dietary component t...

The WHO (2007) Technical report on protein and amino-acid requirements in human nutrition states that the best estimate for a population average requirement is 105 mg nitrogen/kg body weight per day, or 0.66 g protein/kg body weight per day. In many developing countries protein intake falls significantly short of these values. Apart from protein qu...

More than one billion people globally suffer from the consequences of hunger, with nearly the same number affected by overweight, obesity and diet-related ill-health. Diets low in variety but high in energy contribute to the rising incidence of obesity and chronic diseases, increasingly also affecting developing countries. Simultaneously, globaliza...

The WHO (2007) Technical Report on protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition states that the best estimate for a population average requirement is 105 mg nitrogen/kg body weight per day, or 0·66 g protein/kg body weight per day. In many developing countries protein intake falls significantly short of these values. Apart from protein qu...

This paper first presents food quality trends observed in the international context and the manifestation of these and other trends within the food industry. From a consumer perspective, improved knowledge on the composition and function of foods has contributed to many of the changes in these qualities. This is due to an increased demand, and a su...

Milk is a food with high nutritional benefits and is therefore considered an important source of food for all age groups. Laben (1963) reported that whole milk provides energy from carbohydrates, essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals in varying amounts, brought about by both environmental and genetic differences. Not only has th...

The intake of food is a basic human physiological need that is essential for survival, growth, health and general well-being. Without an adequate supply of food a human being cannot sustain life, grow or develop optimally, nor utilize energy. Such lack of access implies food insecurity. South Africa (SA) is classified as a developing country, with...

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world. Consuming foods rich in dietary iron (high in both content and availability) is an effective way to alleviate iron deficiency. Iron from animal foods is more bio-available than iron from plant sources. This is due to the heme iron content in animal foods. According...

The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement used to classify foods according to their potential for raising blood glucose levels. The GI of a foodstuff is generally measured by determining the increment in blood glucose concentration after the consumption of a test meal over a set period of time and comparing it with an isoglucosidic control meal (nor...

The study compared the nutrient content of selected joints of South African mutton (Class C2) (n = 18) and lamb (Class A2) (n = 18) carcasses of fat code 2 in both classes. South African sheep carcasses are classified according to age by dentition: Lamb carcasses of class A2 show the ruction of no incisors and mutton carcasses of class C2 of more t...

This book focuses on the 2007-2008 food price crisis and the ensuing financial and economic crisis (both globally and in sub-Saharan Africa), illustrating the problems using country case studies that cover their origins, effects on agriculture and rural poverty, and their underlying factors. The 13 chapters in this volume address several themes, al...

The study compared the nutrient content of selected joints of South African mutton (Class C2) (n = 18) and lamb (Class A2) (n = 18) carcasses of fat code 2 in both classes. South African sheep carcasses are classified according to age by dentition: Lamb carcasses of class A2 show the ruction of no incisors and mutton carcasses of class C2 of more t...

Food quality has increasingly become one of the main drivers of food choice, and attributes such as food composition are gaining importance in product quality considerations. This paper describes food quality trends observed in the international context and the manifestation of these trends within the food industry. From a consumer's perspective, i...

Food is a basic human physiological need that is important for survival, growth, health and general well-being. Without an adequate supply of food, a human being can neither grow or develop optimally, nor utilize energy for sustained livelihood, thereby implying food insecurity. South Africa (SA) is classified as a developing country, with developi...

There has been a global shift of focus onto the African continent, as Africa is the only developing area in the world with increasing numbers of underweight, stunted and hungry people, while obesity rates in the more developed areas are on the increase. South Africa, faced with the consequences of the double burden of disease due to both over- and...

Today, being either overweight or obese is becoming the norm both in developing and developed countries. Developing countries often experience a double burden of nutrition-related diseases, as both over and undernutrition are experienced, with overweight presently exceeding underweight in most developing countries. Global diet trends such as moving...